1. Field of the Invention
In the most general sense, the present invention relates to devices that can be assimilated with an infantile environment, such as, incubators, cradles, cribs or bassinets. The invention is useful in hospital wards for newborns and premature babies as well as day care facilitates or other infantile environments. Due to the device's contrasting colors, the training of the infant's visual acuity can be enhanced. In conjunction with the contrasting colors, fabrics or other supple materials which can absorb and thereafter transfer a portion of the scent of the infant's mother to a location apart from the mother create another attribute of the invention. When the device is placed near the infantile environment, the mother's scent is vented about the infant's environment such that the infant's olfactory senses can be stimulated by the mother's scent without the mother being present.
2. Description of the Previous Art
a) U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,711—Dorland enables a convertible body garment with odor absorbing properties and process of using the convertible body garment. The Dorland garment is formed from a rectangular piece of fabric (16) which may be made from naturally occurring materials or blends thereof, such as cotton and/or blends with man made materials which absorb perspiration or body secretions. A pair of removable straps (18) are attached to the elongated side (20) of the rectangular shaped garment. Pockets (32) are attached to the inner surface of the garment in proximity to the breasts or axillae. The pockets are defined by a loose weave designed to retain body order absorbing material. After the method's body odor has been absorbed, the garment (10) is attached to a crib's mattress (50). In another embodiment, the '711 garment is attached to an infant seat, carrier or swing. And Column 4, lines 23-44, teach, “In a preferred application of the invention, the use of body odor absorbing material attached to the inner surface of the garment enhances the absorbency of odor . . . A process of promoting bonding between a person and an infant in accordance with the invention includes wearing a garment in contact with at least the person's body, such as the torso, comprising a material which absorbs odor from the body and a fastening means for attaching the garment to the body for a time sufficient to retain the odor; and attaching the worn garment to a garment support with fastening means sufficiently close to the infant so that the infant may smell the retained odor for a time sufficient to promote bonding.” By reference, the disclosure of the Dorland Patent is specifically incorporated into the current Application, and more particularly, the disclosure therein related to odor absorbing materials and the resultant olfactory bonding between infants and their mothers.
2) U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,749—Hall, et. al., discloses the use of an absorbent pad made of cotton, felt, paper, etc. that has been impregnated with an odor, preferably vanilla, that is pleasing to the infant. Application of moisture activates the odor dot on the baby bottle. In another embodiment, an odor ring rather than a dot is affixed to the baby bottle. The '749 device also enables a methods including greater consumption of liquids, as well as, enriching the olfactory environment of the bottle's user.
3) U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,011—Spector enables a scented sticker that can be applied to clothing. The Spector stickers are embedded with a volatile having the odor analogous to the shape of the sticker.
4) U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,285—Troncone, et al., teaches a security blanket, preferably 35 centimeters by 45 centimeters, constructed to feel like the amnion lining in which the baby resides before birth. The Troncone blanket has one side that is soft brushed flannel and a second side made of charmeuse satin.
5) U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,492—Etter, et. al., enables a behavioral modification method using microencapsulation of odors on a patch. Dominant and subservient odors are microencapsulated onto disks. When the subject's urge becomes so strong that he feels as if he is loosing control, the disk is scratched which releases the subservient odor. After a period of time, the subservient odor fades and the dominant pleasant odor becomes pervasive once again and the subject is rewarded for avoiding the bad habit.
6) U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,866—Maeda describes a bed sheet or a lap robe including a cloth chart for learning characters. A plurality of pieces and kinds of cloth in color are connected in a continuous manner along the circumference of the face of the learning chart so that beautiful feelings for infants and children are formed. Pieces (41), (42), (43), (44) and (45) are respectively red, green, yellow, brown and blue.
7) U.S. Pat. No. 3,570,139—Ladd, et al., enables an instructional apparatus for use in early child development. The Ladd book includes visual and chemical-odor producing stimuli that allow the child to associate the thing displayed with its aroma. The display sheets (28) include incentive means (14) that are integrated with the story line as well as illustrative material to encourage the student to operate the Ladd, et al., apparatus. For example, the '139 Patent teaches that the candy canes exemplified therein also smell like peppermint.
8) U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,842—Watt et al., describes a nursing scarf and enables a method of nursing an infant utilizing the scarf.
9) U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,178—Bilda enables a convertible, scent retaining garment blanket. Bilda utilizes a shirt with detachable sleeves. To practice of the '178 detachable shirt, the parent wears the shirt and then detaches the sleeves from the body of the shirt. Either one of the sleeves or the torso of the shirt is used as a baby blanket.
10) U.S. Published patent application No. 20020006455 A1—Levine describes a baby food selection and method. Levine utilizes scratch and sniff technology to incorporate food flavor and food odors onto food containers, cards, game pieces or toys. By smelling or tasting the flavor or scent imparted to the food containers, cards, game pieces or toys, the pre-speaking baby can indicate the preferred food.
11) U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,536 B2—Mesplay enables a device and method for assisting development of an infant's visual acuity and for transferring a mother's scent to an infantile environment. The Mesplay Description of the Preferred Embodiments, in part, reads:                FIG. 1 depicts a black side (32) of supple fabric (30) including an aperture (34) that can be hooked onto a projection of an infantile environment (not shown), thereby attaching supple factor (30) to the infantile environment. FIG. 2 discloses a neutral white side (38) of supple fabric (30) and aperture (34). FIG. 3 portrays device (30) where aperture (34) has received thread (42). However, those skilled in the art recognize that thread (42) can be sewn directly into supple fabric (30), thereby circumventing use of aperture (34). FIG. 4 exemplifies, device (30) suspended from canopy (44) of bassinet (40) by thread (42). In FIGS. 5-8, linear (FIG. 5) and other geometric black on white patterns (FIG. 6, polka dot; FIG. 7, rectangular or square; FIG. 8, triangular) are depicted. Importantly, those skilled in the art recognized the patterns could just as easily be white on black backgrounds. Moreover, practice of the present invention is not limited to patterns disclosed in FIGS. 5-8, but can easily accommodate other geometric patterns. And still in accordance with the present invention, the sides (not shown) opposite the geometric pattern sides (50, 52, 54 and 56) of supple fabric (30) are neutral, i.e., white, off-white, pastel beige, pastel yellow, pastel gray, pastel blue, pastel pink, to name a few of the plethora of neutral colors available for use. Additionally, opposite sides (not shown) can be composed of a backing separate from supple fabric (30), or it can be composed solely of supple fabric (30).        
The '536 Patent appears to enable supple fabrics that have either a solid black side and a solid neutral or white side or a geometric black and while pattern on a first side of the fabric and a neutral solid colored second side. In accordance with Mesplay, the colors of the neutral side can be either white, off-white, pastel beige, pastel yellow, pastel gray, pastel blue or pastel pink. Mesplay appears to be silent regarding the use of black and white patterns on both sides of the fabric, a black and while pattern on a first side of the device and a pattern of other colors on the second side of the device or colors other than black and white utilized on each side of the '536 device.
12) U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,891—Song enables a confort grip bottle holder. The Song Detailed Description of the Drawings reads:                The bottle sleeve 100 includes an elastic portion 104 and a fabric portion 102. The elastic portion 104 is expandable to accept bottle 200. The elastic portion 104 then constricts around the bottle 200 to securely fasten the bottle sleeve 100 to the bottle 200. The elastic portion 104 can be manufactured from a variety of different materials including but not limited to, foam, rubber or an elastic fabric such as those used in the manufacture of athletic socks. The use of a variety of elastic materials does not detract from the spirit of the invention. The fabric portion 102 is attached to the elastic portion 104. In one disclosed embodiment, the fabric portion 102 is sewn together with the elastic portion 104. However, a wide variety of attachment schemes can be implemented without detracting from the spirit of the invention. The fabric portion 102 is made from a soft, scent absorbing fabric. The fabric portion 102 surrounds the nipple 106 of the bottle 200 such that the tip of the nipple 106 is accessible by an animal. The fabric portion 102, in one disclosed embodiment, can be manufactured in a donut shape with padding to provide a soft nuzzle area for an animal feeding from the nipple 106. The soft, scent absorbing fabric of the fabric portion 102 allows for the scent of the animal feeding from the bottle 200 to be absorbed so that the animal will recognize its own scent at subsequent feedings. This recognition will assist in later feedings. The claws of the animal on both the front and rear feet typically do not grasp a plastic or glass bottle such as those shown in FIG. 6. This causes difficulty in allowing the animal to nurse. However, the claws of the front and back feet can securely grip the elastic portion 104 and fabric portion 102 of the bottle sleeve 100 of the present disclosed embodiment.        
Song requires an elastic member for enveloping the bottle that is connected to a ring like fabric portion that surrounds the nipple. The ring like fabric portion can absorb the mother animal's scent. Since the '891 Patent refers to “the claws of the animal on both the front and rear feet typically do not grasp a plastic or glass bottle,” it appears that Song's device is directed toward animals other than humans. Song is silent regarding any assonance with the development of an infant's visual acuity or the transfer of the mother's scent to an infantile environment.
13) U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,995—Curtis, et al. enables a knit cover for a beverage container. The Curtis Summary of the Invention reads:                In order to prevent slippage from the hand when placed on a beverage container, an outwardly bulging hand engagable annular band is formed around the upper medial portion of the sleeve. This band is formed during the knitting of the sleeve and is produced by holding the stitch loops on one set of needles while knitting several courses of stitch loops on the other set of needles, and then again knitting on both sets of needles.  The present knit cover also has a uniform bottom portion which is adapted to partially enclose the flat bottom of a beverage container which is slidably inserted in the sleeve. This bottom portion is formed by discontinuing the ribbed pattern and providing a non-elastic lower terminal edge opening. This lower opening has a diameter which is smaller than the upper opening, and the lower opening preferably does note stretch as much as the remainder of the sleeve when a container is inserted therein. This prevents the beverage container from slipping out of the lower end of the sleeve while at the seam time functioning as a coaster having a substantially uniform bottom portion, which, having no irregularities, is unlikely to cause the container to tip over and spill its contents. The knit cover may be economically formed on a circular knitting machine having two sets of needles and capable of knitting seamless tube or sleeve of rib fabric, preferably in a one-by-one rib pattern. This pattern is continued for approximately one and one half inches or twenty to thirty courses in a preferred embodiment, and then the needles knitting the inwardly facing stitch loops hold their stitch loops while the needles knitting the outwardly facing or plain stitch loops continue to knit for about three to eight courses, to form the outwardly bulging band. All needles then again knit and the rib pattern is continued to an overall length of between about six to seven inches. The diameter of the knit cover of the present invention is dependent in part upon yarn weight, the tension used, the diameter and gauge of the machine, and the number of stitch loops formed in each course. Working with a sport or worsted weight acrylic fiber yarn, and a one-by-one rib knit pattern, a machine provided with 60 needles produces an appreciate diameter for the knit cover. Yarn of acrylic fiber is preferred due to its inherent elasticity and heat insulating characteristics, although yarns of polypropylene, 100% wool, or wool blends may be used. It has ben found that for optimum performance, a one-by-one rib knit stitch pattern in a sport or worsted weight yarn of acrylic fiber provides the best combination of inherent elasticity or stretchability and heat insulating properties. To provide greater elasticity, elastic yarn, such as spandex, may be laid in the courses of stitch loops in the top portion as well as in other portions of the knit cover.        
Along with being limited to the acrylic knits, Curtis is silent regarding any assistance with the development of an infant's visual acuity or the transfer of the mother's scent to an infantile environment.
14) U.S. Pat. No. 3,065,944—Libendorfer enables a nursing bottle holder. Among other things, the Libendorfer tubular bottle holder includes a securing ribbon, snaps, heat insulating material and a nylon layer. The '944 device is not intended to be worn inside the mother's undergarment; rather, the Libendorfer device is to be worn about the neck and on the outside of the mother's clothing. The '944 Patent is silent regarding any assistance with the development of an infant's visual acuity or the transfer of the mother's scent to an infantile environment.
15) U.S. Pat. No. 2,522,381—Kramer enables a temperature retaining cover for baby bottles and other receptacles. The Kramer baby bottle hood includes three layers of material with an insulator sandwiched between the two outer layers of fabric and a draw string. The '381 Patent is silent regarding any assistance with the development of an infant's visual acuity or the transfer of the mother's scent to an infantile environment.
16) U.S. Pat. No. 1,669,061—Meltzer enables a combined heat insulator and protector for milk bottles and the like. Meltzer enables a bag-like structure for a baby bottle that includes an outer casing and insulator, an inner pad and binding tapes (18) or ties. The '061 Patent is silent regarding any assistance with the development of an infant's visual acuity or the transfer of the mother's scent to an infantile environment.
17) The Enfamil® Family of Formulas™ Baby Book© 1997, Mead Johnson & Company. The Mead Johnson soft plastic Baby Book teaches, “. . . black and white patterns are easier for babies to distinguish than colors. While they can see colors, the sharp contrast of black and white holds their attention for longer periods of time.” And the soft plastic Baby Book features pages of black patterns on white backgrounds.